North Fork Senior Connections

North Fork Senior Connections

North Fork Senior Connections was founded by a group of seniors in Paonia, CO who wanted to develop local resources to help seniors age in place.  We began by recruiting volunteers to help with seasonal property maintenance tasks, like raking leaves, shoveling snow and washing window.  After a few years, we undertook additional programs to build a supportive, inclusive community for seniors by offering fun events like pot lucks and personal enrichment programs at the Paonia Senior Center, which would bring people together for positive social interactions.

Senior Connections now owns and operates the Paonia Senior Center, where we host an array of programs throughout the week to provide social connection, low cost communal dining, exercise classes, and an array of life enrichment programs such as meditation and book group. We off a wide variety of programming to combat social isolation, provide personal enrichment, and foster connections within our community.  Seniors gather regularly for singing, sewing, book discussions, meditation, memoir writing, gardening education, therapeutic movement, pot luck lunches and other activities.  

Working with many local groups, we recently initiated a senior center in Crawford, based in the Crawford Community Church. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support for this new program. We are currently organizing senior gatherings twice a month, providing a place for seniors to connect with others their neighbors, share a meal, have fun, and engage with the wider community.  

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LIVING

Senior Connections was established with the core purpose of assisting seniors to live independently in their own homes as long a possible.  To that end, we organize a large cadre of community volunteers, in the spring and fall of each year, to assist rural seniors with seasonal home maintenance chores.  Tasks range from raking leaves, cleaning gutters and pruning vegetation to washing windows and preparing swamp coolers for the coming season.  Entire families, active adults and students work together to help their neighbors age in place and in community.  

NEIGHBORLY RIDES

Our rural valley has no public transportation, and this presents a serious obstacle for seniors needing to get to medical appointments, do grocery shopping or attend senior programs. Our "Neighborly Rides" provides a hotline seniors can call to schedule free transportation for such needs.  Rides are provided by volunteers and have the added benefit of social connections for both parties.

SENIOR CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER

Each month, Senior Connections staff prepares a newsletter of helpful information, thoughtful articles, and a calendar of upcoming programs, classes and events sponsored by NFSC and other local organizations.  This newsletter goes out to hundreds of seniors throughout the valley, alerting them to senior meals programs, free senior movies, exercise classes,  book groups, walking clubs, and a range of other programs and activities available in our community.